GROUNDHOG DAY: Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?

04 February, 2018

Today, Phil saw his shadow meaning there will be six weeks of wintry cold yet to come.

It is also said that a group of friends in Punxsutawney, Penn. went out on February 2 to look for groundhogs, which made the newspaper as the "Punxsutawney Groundhog Club" and the group eventually became the official organizers for the day in western Pennsylvania. But if skies are cloudy, and no dark shape appears, Americans can expect spring to arrive early.

There's a folklore that if the groundhog sees his shadow, there will be more winter weather.

If Phil didn't see his shadow, it would have been an early spring.

The groundhog's prediction is typically contained in a short poem.

Groundhogs don't live in the United Kingdom so we obviously don't give a toss about Groundhog Day or its alleged implications on the the upcoming weather. This year is the 132nd ceremony.

Would you believe an animal's prediction for the weather? Their groundhog's name is Wiarton Willie. Germans built upon the tradition by looking to the hedgehog as a predictor of weather, the legend goes, and German settlers in Pennsylvania later switched to the groundhog.

The standing Punxsutawney Groundhog Club president is the only person able to interpret Phil's official language known as "Groundhogese".

As the tradition goes, whether the groundhog sees his shadow forecasts whether there will be six more weeks of winter or we will have an early spring.

New York City also marks the day with Chuck the groundhog.

What is the history of Groundhog Day? The tradition's roots are tied to the Christian holiday of Candlemas Day, celebrated every year on February 2. "Someone has to nominate you and then you need to be approved by a Groundhog Day committee". People have been gathering at the same spot ever since. Other states now celebrate their own Groundhog Day, with their own groundhog.

Men from the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club inner circle, a prestigious group made up of the who's who in Punxsutawney, take care of Phil all year and plan the big event.

The charming critter lives on the tiny hill of Gobbler's Knob, located just outside Punxsutawney, 84 miles northeast of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. It has a population of less than 6,000 and was founded in 1818. Every year, thousands of people from across the U.S.travel to Punxsutawney.

Locally, the six weeks following Groundhog Day have gotten warmer in Austin and San Antonio by about two degrees on average, according to Climate Central.

He and his news team get caught in a blizzard and must stay in town overnight.

Earlier this week, the groundhog posted that he was "waking up from hibernation".

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